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Further Workplace Health and Safety bosses will be grilled at the inquest into the Dreamworld disaster today, after a leading inspector admitted he had "no confidence" in the emergency procedures in place on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

"With the terminal expansion and refurbishment complete, we have a renewed opportunity to negotiate with major airlines, and explore potential fly-in fly-out arrangements with mining companies," she said.

Mr O'Reilly said the upgrade of the airport, about 12km south of Proserpine, was critical for the region to expand capacity.

A number of new coal mines were at an advanced stage of development in central Queensland, and the new airport would help re-establish tourist links with Sydney and Melbourne, he said.

"The airport is not only important from a tourism point of view, but a broader economic development perspective," he said.

"It's very much a gateway now to the northern Bowen Basin coal fields, and with the work that's going on at Abbot Point just north of Bowen it will become increasingly so."

Whitsundays council has appointed an airport business development manager to attract new flights.